Many of you know that Ken & I have several lists going that we are working on as we travel this country. They include visiting state Capitols, major league ballparks and National Parks & Monuments. Well, we've added another item to this list.

Beginning a tradition that continues to this day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt raised private funds and built a library, which he gave to the U.S. government for operation through the National Archives. Presidential Libraries are not libraries in the usual sense. They are archives and museums, preserving the written record and physical history of our presidents while providing special programs and exhibits that serve their communities.

There are twelve Presidential Libraries. Ken and I have previously visited the Libraries of Presidents Hoover, Reagan, Carter and Clinton. Today we made the short 50 mile drive to the Library of our 37th President.

Located in the city of Yorba Linda California and encompassing the house in which he was born on January 9, 1913 (along with all the original furnishings ) the Richard Nixon Presidential Library would be the fifth one marked off our 'list'.

Born to Quaker parents and instilled with a strong work ethic, Richard M. Nixon would graduate from Whittier College and Duke University School of Law. After joining the Navy and serving in the Pacific during WWII he would be elected to Congress from Whittier, California in 1946. Re-elected in 1948 he would go on to become a U.S. Senator in 1950.

Richard Nixon would run with Presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower as his VP in 1952. The ticket won by a huge majority and would be re-elected again in 1956. Nixon would be the candidate for President in 1960 and would lose to John F. Kennedy by only 113,000 votes - the closest election in U.S. history.

Staying out of politics for the next 8 years after a failed run for Governor of California in 1962, Nixon would be nominated for President in 1968. Nixon won that election against VP Hubert Humphrey. He would be re-elected in 1972. As almost everyone knows Richard Nixon would resign the Presidency as a result of Watergate in 1974.

I was 12 years old in 1974 and my recollections of this event are (were) colored by the media reports of the day. After all, who could forget the "I am not a crook" quote or the flashing of the peace sign while getting onto Marine One. We walked away from this Library with a greater undertanding of all that Nixon had accomplished during his years of public service up to and after his resignation. That, in and of itself, is reason enough to add visiting these Presidential Libraries to your 'list'. As we always say, any day you can learn something new is a good day. Today was a very good day!

Comments

Ann - here's a way to combine two of your "list" checkoffs: you can visit Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center (Spiegel Grove) in Fremont, Ohio...and if you come in the summer, you can watch the Spiegel Grove Squires Vintage Base Ball (yes, it was originally two words!) Team play in the grove behind the Hayes' home. In this original-style game, hits that bounce off of trees or on the ground, if caught after one bounce, are still outs! Great, free fun on a summer day, sitting in the formal gardens and watching. (You can read more about it in our TravelPod from last summer!). If you do happen to head out that way this summer, we are once again going to be work-camping in Port Clinton, Ohio (hopefully, since I will collect Social Security later this summer, it will be our last round of sitting still and work-camping, not our favorite way to spend our time!)..it would be fun to meet you in person! Rose & Greg Pyke